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Published: March 3rd 2009
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Finished Koliva
This is the finished Koliva dish which is eaten in memory of people who have died. Week 15 and 16 in Greece.
10th Feb
Michael has dug up a new vegetable bed to put some spinach seeds in. Apparently the ants like the seeds and often carry them off, our next door neighbour said, and it was true. I saw some ants carrying off some flower seeds myself. In the afternoon I had my hair cut by a hairdresser who comes to your home. It was 12 Celsius out on the verandah where I had my hair cut at 4.45pm, so a bit chilly.
Michael grilled some red peppers and Mama skinned them to make them into a salad, with garlic, vinegar and olive oil.
I made a chocolate mud cake for Valentine’s Day. I cut out a shape of a heart and filled it with sifted icing sugar. The Zahaplasteon lady wished me “Hronya Polla” and I said why, and she said for your “Yortis”(Name Day) and I said it was not my name day and she said they say that for Valentine’s Day. They had about 10 cakes in the refrigerated display case with decorated heart shaped cakes with chocolate and ganache.
Wed 18th Feb
Our son read an article saying that by 2032 only
Aleka and Michael Decorating the Koliva
Koliva is made from boiled wheat and sweetened with dried fruit and nuts and eaten in memory of people who have died. very wealthy people will be able to travel overseas, and reckons he should travel now to Europe before he has a mortgage. But we read today that 20 million people in Europe will be unemployed during the economic downturn. Apparently there is 1 million people unemployed in Poland already. It is a worldwide problem.
Today when we were walking down to post the 2 letters, there was a lady watering the concrete path in her garden. Michael said in Greek, “With a little more water, the concrete will grow more” The lady said “Horistee?” or “Pardon?” but we kept on walking. There has not been much rain this winter, so I know water will be short this summer, but the Greeks don’t even register that yet.
Today I put jeans in the washing machine- perhaps too many clothes, anyway, it got to about 10 minutes into the cycle and Mama comes into the lounge room and says, the washing machine has stopped. Well nothing wrong with the electricity and just won’t go. The washing machine is a front loader German make and 40 years old. Michael’s brother George had a look at the washing machine and the solenoid on the
Elizabeth filling in the Koliva Cross
Crushed walnuts were used to fill in the Koliva Cross door was not working, that is why it did not work. So has bypassed the door solenoid (which did not allow you to open the door when the machine was working) and now it works. So I will need to be careful with the machine to nurse it along for another decade.
We watched my sister in law make a dish called Koliva. It is made with boiled wheat, dried sultanas and nuts. It is made for the Memorial Day for the dead which was the next day. So Aleka made some and will take it to the church later in the evening to be blessed before it is eaten by the people.
after we left at 3pm, we caught the No 58 bus to a terminal and then another bus to Hortiati Village, about 20 km out from Salonika. There was snow still on the ground in small amounts. The terminal at the bus station had a thermostat and it said 0C, then -1 C. So it was cold. It was 4 C in the afternoon coming home on the bus in Salonika at 5pm. The temperature tonight is supposed to be -1 C and only up to 3
A Furniture Removalist Truck
This extension ladder allows the platform to extend to the apartments on the upper stories to move the heavy objects down to the street C tomorrow.
Michael got stuck into cutting down some bamboo canes outside the backyard fence and then has put them inside after cleaning them off of the little side branches. They will be used to stake tomatoes-these will be planted later when the weather is milder.
Sunday 22nd Feb
Lightly snowing this morning here at Perea, although 4 C, it was melting before landed on ground. So first and probably last time we will see the snow here at Mama’s house. We recently visited the oldest working church in Salonika, called The Twelve Apostles. It is only open till 12 noon, so has always been closed when we visit during the week.
I recently bought a new phone to replace my 8 year old one. Even though it was purchased during the stipulated sales period when things are discounted, it was a lot more expensive than in Australia, probably because there is a 19 % GST added and food has a reduced GST amount-9%.
We visited some friends and it was 4 C when we were walking home at 10.15pm from the bus stop. If you had said in Australia, to go for a walk in that temperature, I would
Gwen in front of the 12 Apostles Church Salonika
Gwen in front of the oldest operating church in Salonika have said you were crazy, but I guess without rain, it is just cold, and you don’t get damp.
Michael went into the City to the Salonika Market to get some meat for a BBQ to celebrate Mama’s 84th Birthday on 28th February and also some strawberries and garlic. The garlic that is in the local shops and street market is from China and bleached and in little bags. We want the tastier local variety which is not as sanitized.
Sunday 28th Feb
In the afternoon I made 2 pizzas, a pavlova and little patty cakes. It is hard to make pavlova with a little hand worked beater. I had to ask Michael to help me take turns, as it is tiring but it makes you appreciate an electrical mixer. We ordered a gateau from the local Zaplasteon or Patissiere shop and they wrote Mama's name on the top and included 2 sparklers to light. We had a lovely day and ate lunch out on the verandah, as the weather was mild and with 9 people, it was easier to seat everyone.
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Henri Mouratidis
non-member comment
Hello
Hi Gwen, how wondeful it has been reading your travel blog. It makes me wish Iwas there! Hope you and Michael are well. Enjoy your trip.